Adjustable mounting bracket for flat panel display

ABSTRACT

A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flat panel display from a wall. The mounting bracket includes a wall bracket, a display bracket and two traversing mounts. The traversing mounts are supportively disposed between the wall bracket and the display bracket, and driven along a pair of substantially parallel linear axes by a pair of actuators enabling vertical adjustment of the display bracket. The traversing mounts are flexibly coupled between the wall bracket and the display bracket, thereby enabling misalignment of the positions to adjust the skew of the display bracket relative to the wall bracket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to mounting brackets. More specifically,the present invention relates to an adjustable mounting bracket forsupporting a flat panel television or display from a wall or similarsurface.

2. Description of the Related Art

Flat panel televisions and displays are becoming increasingly common andwill gradually replace virtually all cathode ray tube televisions anddisplays. Flat panel televisions and displays are frequently hung on awall in a fashion reminiscent of paintings and photographs because theirstructures are similar. Flat panel displays are large, heavy, andexpensive, and therefore the process of mounting them to a verticalsurface is daunting. Installers and users who do their own installationtypically avoid repetitive mounting and dismounting of a flat paneldisplay because of the difficulty of the task and the risk of damageinvolved.

Current flat panel display mounts include a wall plate and a displaybracket. The wall plate is securely mounted to a wall, usually boltedinto wall studs or other structural components able to bear the load ofthe display. The display bracket is bolted to the back of the flat paneldisplay. There may be plural wall plates or plural display bracketsused. After the display bracket is securely fastened to the back of theflat panel display, it is lifted into place, where the display bracketis hung from the wall plate. While this arrangement is straightforward,it does present certain problems in practical applications.

A flat panel display, like a photograph or picture, needs to beprecisely positioned so that its appearance within the local environmentis pleasing. Even a slight misalignment, tilt or skew will be obvious tothe casual observer. In order for the alignment to be precise and level,the installer must determine the relationship between the wall plate anddisplay bracket as well as the relationship between the display bracketand the outer periphery of the flat panel display itself. In addition,structural mounting fasteners, such as lag bolts, toggle bots, andexpansion fasteners are not precise instruments by their very nature.The location of structural components in the wall may not be located inoptimum positions. In the case where an installer is hired to do aninstallation, the end user may request a subtle adjustment after theinstallation is complete, even though the installation was positionedaccurately in the first place. Making a subtle adjustment is a majorundertaking with prior art mounts. Thus, there is a need in the art fora flat panel display mount and method that enables precise adjustment ofposition and tilt of a flat panel display to a wall or other verticalsurface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The need in the art is addressed by the apparatus of the presentinvention. A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flatpanel display from a wall is taught. The mounting bracket includes awall bracket, a display bracket and two traversing mounts. The firsttraversing mount is supportively disposed between the wall bracket andthe display bracket, and driven along a first linear axis by a firstactuator. The second traversing mount is also supportively disposedbetween the wall bracket and the display bracket, and driven along asecond linear axis, oriented substantially parallel to the first linearaxis, by a second actuator.

In a specific embodiment of the mounting bracket, the first traversingmount and the second traversing mount are flexibly coupled between thewall bracket and the display bracket, thereby enabling misalignment ofthe positions of the first traversing mount and the second traversingmounts to adjust the skew of the display bracket relative to the wallbracket. In another specific embodiment, the first traversing mount andthe second traversing mount are flexibly coupled to enable rotationwithin a plane that is parallel to the wall on which the wall bracket isdisposed. In another specific embodiment of the mounting bracket, thefirst traversing mount is flexibly connected to the first actuator andthe second traversing mount is flexibly connected to the secondactuator, thereby enabling misalignment of the positions of the firsttraversing mount and the second traversing mount to adjust the skew ofthe display bracket relative to the wall bracket.

In a specific embodiment of the mounting bracket, the first actuator andthe second actuator are threaded rods that engage the first traversingmount and the second traversing mount, respectively. The threaded rodsextend to a peripheral location on the mounting bracket, therebyenabling access for actuation thereof by a user. In another specificembodiment, the display bracket is configured as a first portion and asecond portion that are independently supported, thereby enablingadjustment of their spacing adaptation to the mounting configuration ofthe flat panel display.

In a specific embodiment of the mounting bracket, the first traversingmount and the second traversing mount are removably disposed between thewall bracket and the display bracket. In a refinement, the mountingbracket also includes a horizontal mounting flange disposed to removablyengage the first traversing mount and the second traversing mount,thereby enabling adjustment of the horizontal position of the displaybracket relative to the wall bracket. In another refinement, themounting bracket further includes a mount lock coupled to selectivelylock the position of the display bracket to the wall bracket, and, themount lock is selectively actuated by a lock actuator. In a furtherrefinement, the mount lock is positioned to urge the first traversingmount and the second traversing mount against the horizontal mountingflange, thereby preventing disengagement there from. The lock actuatormay be a threaded rod that engages the mount lock and extends to aperipheral location on the mounting bracket. The lock actuator mayengage the first actuator or the second actuator.

The present invention also teaches a mounting bracket apparatus foradjustably supporting a flat panel display from a wall configured asfollows. A wall bracket has a first horizontal flange aligned inparallel with a second horizontal flange. A first display bracket has afirst traversing mount driven along a first linear axis and engaged witha first threaded rod actuator that extends to a peripheral location onthe mounting bracket. The first traversing mount has a curved extensionformed to supportively engage the first horizontal flange and enablerotation of the first display bracket along a plane parallel to the wallon which the wall bracket is mounted. The first display bracket furtherincludes a first mount lock slidably positioned along the first threadedrod actuator and aligned to be urged against the second horizontalflange by a first lock actuator that is concentric to and engaged withthe first threaded rod, and that extends to a peripheral location on themounting bracket. The mounting bracket also includes a second displaybracket that has a second traversing mount driven along a second linearaxis and engaged with a second threaded rod actuator that extends to aperipheral location on the mounting bracket. The second traversing mounthas a curved extension formed to supportively engage the firsthorizontal flange and enable rotation of the second display bracketalong the plane parallel to the wall on which the wall bracket ismounted. The second display bracket further includes a second mount lockslidably positioned along the second threaded rod actuator that isaligned to be urged against the second horizontal flange by a secondlock actuator that is concentric to and engaged with the second threadedrod, and that extends to a peripheral location on the mounting bracket.The first display bracket and the second display bracket areindependently positionable along the first horizontal flange, therebyenabling adjustment of the horizontal position of the flat paneldisplay, and further enabling adjustment of the spacing between thefirst display bracket and the second display bracket to allow adaptationto the mounting configuration of the flat panel display.

The present invention also teaches a mounting bracket for adjustablysupporting a flat panel display from a wall that is configured asfollows. A wall bracket rotatably supports a first threaded rod and asecond thread rod that are in a generally vertical orientation andsubstantially parallel to one another. A traversing mount has a flexiblysupported first coupler engaged to be driven by rotation of the firstthreaded rod, and a flexibly supported second coupler engaged to bedriven by rotation of the second threaded rod. The traversing mount hasa horizontal flange. A first display bracket has a first mounting lipfor selective engagement along the horizontal flange, and, a seconddisplay bracket has a second mounting lip for selective engagement alongthe horizontal flange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prior art installation drawing of a flat panel display.

FIG. 2 is a prior art installation drawing of a flat panel display.

FIG. 3 is a front view drawing of an adjustable mounting bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view drawing of an adjustable mounting bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view drawing of an adjustable mounting bracket accordingto an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an adjustable mounting bracket according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side section view of an adjustable mounting bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an adjustable mounting bracket according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view drawing of a wall plate according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view drawing of a wall plate according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a top view drawing of a wall plate according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view drawing of an adjustable display bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view drawing of an adjustable display bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a top view drawing of an adjustable display bracket accordingto an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a top view drawing of an adjustable display bracket accordingto an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a back view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a side view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a front view detail of a traversing lock according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a side section view detail of a traversing lock according toan illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a side view installation drawing of an adjustable mountingbracket according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 23 is a side view installation drawing of an adjustable mountingbracket according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 24 is a side view installation drawing of an adjustable mountingbracket according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 25 is an exploded diagram of an adjustable mounting bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a side view drawing of a wall plate according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a front view drawing of a wall plate according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a side view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a front view drawing of a traversing mount according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is an assembled view of an adjustable mounting bracket accordingto an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a side view drawing of a display bracket according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a front view drawing of a display bracket according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose theadvantageous teachings of the present invention.

While the present invention is described herein with reference toillustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should beunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those havingordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided hereinwill recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodimentswithin the scope thereof and additional fields in which the presentinvention would be of significant utility.

The present invention advances the art of mounting flat panel displays,such as plasmas and LCD televisions and video monitors, by teachingmounting bracket apparatus that enable adjustment of the mountedposition of such displays vertically, horizontally and skew. Theapparatus include wall brackets and display brackets. In use, the wallbrackets are solidly attached to a wall, or other generally verticalsurface, and the display brackets are attached to the back of a flatpanel display. The display is supported by the wall when the wallbrackets and display brackets are coupled together, typically using aflange and hanging clip or hook combination. A pair of traversing mountsis provided between the wall brackets and display brackets, which enableadjustment of the display position while the flat panel display issupported from the wall. If the traversing mounts are adjusted insynchronous, the display position is vertically adjusted. If thetraversing mounts are adjusted in opposite directions, the display skewposition is adjusted. Infinite combinations of movement and adjustmentare thereby realized. The horizontal position of the display is adjustedby moving the hanging clips laterally along the mounting flange. Thisapproach greatly simplifies the “fine tuning” adjustments that arefrequently required when a flat panel display is installed. Theactuators for the traversing mounts extend to a common edge along theperiphery of the mounting bracket, thereby providing convenient accessafter the flat panel display has been installed. Adjustments are madeusing common hand tools, such as wrenches, screwdrivers, and otherdriving tools.

Reference is directed to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which are prior artinstallation drawings for flat panel displays. A flat panel display 2 ismounted within a framed opening 4. The use of a framed opening andconcealment of flat panel displays is presented in U.S. Pat. No.6,901,987 to Graham for Furled Decorative Covering Apparatus and Method,also the inventor of the present invention. In addition to framedopenings, flat panel displays are frequently aligned adjacent to objectsthat provide a visual queue as to orientation, such as the top of amantle, wall seam, corner, adjacent wall hanging, and etc. The human eyeis very sensitive to spatial misalignment. In FIG. 1, the display 2 isvertically misaligned, as the upper gap 6 is wider than the lower gap 8,which is quite noticeable to the casual observer. This misalignmentoccurs because of the rather coarse initial positioning of the wallbracket (not shown). FIG. 2 illustrates the problem of skew misalignmentin a display, where the upper-left gap 10 is larger than the upper-rightgap 12, which is also readily apparent to the casual observer. Thecorrection of skewed misalignment requires rotation of the display andmount about a plane lying in parallel to the plane of the wall or othermounting surface. In the prior art, the solution to these kinds ofmisalignment was to remove the display from the mounting bracket,attempt to remove and re-mount the wall bracket, then re-hang thedisplay. Re-mounted is a time consuming and often times frustratingprocess as the re-mounting process frequently revealed anothermisalignment of the mounted display.

Reference is directed to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, which are frontview, side view, and top view drawing, respectively, of an adjustablemounting bracket according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention. The mounting bracket includes a wall bracket 20 that isrigidly attached to a wall surface 19, typically using screws, lagbolts, toggle fasteners, or expansion anchors depending on the type wallconstruction involved. A first display bracket 22 and a second displaybracket 24, both of which include a traversing mount with actuators 26,28 are attached to the back of a flat panel display 2 using screws thatfit existing mounting holes in the display 2. The display brackets 22,24 are hung from the wall bracket 20 thereby supporting the display 2from the wall 19. After installation, the display bracket actuators 26,28 are rotated to actuate the traversing mounts, thereby independentlyadjusting the vertical position of both display brackets 22, 24 relativeto the wall bracket 20. This arrangement enables an installer to mountthe wall bracket 20 using a rather coarse approach to position and thenhang the display 2. If there is any mis-alignment noticed, the actuators26, 28 can be adjusted from beneath the display 2 using a suitable tool,all without having to remove the display from its hung position, hencethe problem in the prior art is overcome.

Reference is directed to FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which are frontview, side view, and end view drawings, respectively, of the adjustablemounting bracket according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention. These figures are a more detailed view of the aforementionedmounting bracket. The wall bracket 20 is shown, which includes an upperhorizontal flange 42 and a lower horizontal flange 44. The first displaybracket 22 is supported from the upper horizontal flange 42 by a firsttraversing mount 30. The first traversing mount 30 is held is positionalong a vertical axis of travel by a first threaded rod actuator 38,which threadably engages the first traversing mount 30. A first lockmount 34 is slidably positioned along the first threaded rod 38, and isurged against the lower horizontal flange 44 of the wall mount 20 byfirst actuator 26, which will be more fully discussed hereinafter. Thesecond display bracket 24 is supported from the upper horizontal flange42 by a second traversing mount 32. The second traversing mount 32 isheld in position along a vertical axis of travel by a second threadedrod actuator 40, which threadably engages the second traversing mount32. A second lock mount 36 is slidably positioned along the secondthreaded rod 40, and is urged against the lower horizontal flange 44 ofthe wall mount 20 by second actuator 28, which will be more fullydiscussed hereinafter. The first and second lock mounts 34, 36 are urgedagainst the lower horizontal flange 44 of the wall bracket 20 after theposition of the display is adjusted via the threaded rods 38, 40 and thefirst and second traversing mounts 30, 32. This action binds thetraversing mount 30, 32 and the mount locks against the wall bracket 20,thereby locking the position of the display brackets 22, 24 relative tothe wall mount 20. The first and second actuators 26, 28 includeadjustments for the position of both the traversing mounts 30, 32 andboth mount locks 34, 36, which will be more fully discussed hereinafter.

Reference is directed to FIG. 9, FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, which are frontview, side view and top view drawings, respectively, of the wall bracketaccording to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Thewall bracket 20 is formed from flat plate that is bent to form an upperhorizontal flange 42 and a lower horizontal flange 44. A first row ofslotted holes 46 and a second row of slotted holes 48 are punched alongthe upper and lower portions of the plate to facilitate mounting thewall bracket to a wall. The rows of slotted holes enable flexiblepositioning of the wall bracket to a variety of wall constructionenvironments. Larger holes are punched in the central area of the wallbracket to reduce weight through removal of unneeded material. Thedesign of the illustrative embodiment wall bracket achieves low costthrough simplicity of design.

Reference is directed to FIG. 12, FIG. 13, and FIG. 14, which are frontview, side section view, and top view drawings, respectively, of thefirst adjustable display bracket 22 according to an illustrativeembodiment of the present invention. The second adjustable displaybracket 24 is a similar structure, reflected about the vertical axis ascompared to the first display bracket. Display bracket 22 is formed as a‘C’ channel with a flange extending from one edge, which is punched withplural mounting holes and slots 94. The plural mounting holes and slots94 facilitate the attachment of the display bracket 22 to a variety offlat panel display mounting hole patterns, as are known to those skilledin the art. Each side of the ‘C’ channel shape 23 is punched with anupper pair of slots 68, 72 and a lower pair of slots 84, 88, which actsas guides for the traversing mount 30 and mount lock 34 along theirrespective vertical axis travel paths. The slots are approximately oneand one-half inch long in the illustrative embodiment. Locating pins 66,70 slidably engage the traversing mount slots 68, 70, and similarlocating pins 82, 86 engage the mount lock slots 84, 88. Thisarrangement allows free vertical travel of the traversing mount 32 andthe lock mount 34 within the one and one-half inch slot length. It hasbeen empirically determined that one and one-half inches of travel issufficient flexibility for a typical coarsely positioned wall bracket,to enable precise alignment of the installed display. Other degrees oftravel can be employed in alternative embodiments, depending on theapplication of the invention involved.

The threaded rod 38 is supported near the central vertical axis of the‘C’ channel 23 using a pair of nuts 60, 62 that are rotatably joined tothe ‘C’ channel using a thermoplastic bushing 62. The nuts 60, 64 arecrimped or otherwise seized to the threaded rod 38 to prevent rotationrelative thereto. Thusly, the threaded rod 38 is free to rotate whilebeing held in vertical alignment within the channel 23. The traversingmount 32 has a hole bored through its vertical axis that is threaded toengage the threaded rod 38. Therefore, rotation of the threaded rod 38causes the traversing mount 32 to travel up and down the threaded rodalong the vertical axis of the display bracket 22. The traversing mount32 has a hook 74 and recess 76 that are configured to engage the upperhorizontal flange of the wall bracket (not shown). Thusly, thetraversing mount 32 hangs from the upper horizontal flange of the wallbracket and supports the flat panel display, while being adjustablealong its vertical axis. The mount lock also has a hook 78 and recess80, which may engage the lower horizontal flange on the wall mount (notshown). In an illustrative embodiment, the traversing mount and mountlock have identical hooks, 74, 78 and recesses 76, 80, such that theentire display bracket can be mounted upside down, thereby enablingadjustment access from an upper peripheral location of the mountingbracket.

The mount lock 34 has a hole bored through its vertical axis, however,the hole is oversize as compared to the threaded rod 38, so that themount lock 34 is free to slide up and down relative to the threaded rod38 and the channel 23. The travel of the mount lock 34 is limited by thelocating pins 82, 86 and the slots 84, 86. Normally, the mount lock restby gravity against the lock follower 92 portion at the upper end of theactuator assembly 26. When the lock bolt 90 at the lower end of theactuator assembly 26 is rotated, the lock follower, which is threadablyengaged to the threaded rod 38, is driven to urge the mount lock 34against the lower horizontal flange (not shown) of the wall bracket (notshown). Counter rotation of the lock bolt 90 releases the mount lock bylowering it away from the flange. The actuator assembly 26 therebycontrols the position of both the traversing mount 32 through rotationof the threaded rod, and the mount lock 34 from a peripheral location,the bottom, of the bracket assembly. The actuator assembly will be morefully discussed hereinafter.

Reference is directed to FIG. 15, which is a top view drawing of anadjustable display bracket according to an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention. The embodiment in FIG. 15 is similar to that in FIG.14, except for a few notable distinctions. In FIG. 15, the ‘C’ channel100 with the mounting flange 102 is shallower. This is possible becausethe traversing mount 104 with the threaded rod 108 passing there throughis also shallower. This is possible because the locating pins 110, 112do not pass all the way through the traversing mount 104. Note that inFIG. 14, the locator pins 66, 70 pass all the way through so that theremust be sufficient depth of the traversing mount 32 to accommodate boththe threaded rod bore and the locator pin bores. In FIG. 15, suchclearance is not required so the depth of the traversing mount 104 canbe shallower.

Reference is directed to FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18, and FIG. 19, whichare back view, side view, front view, and bottom view drawings,respectively, of a traversing mount and a mount lock according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment,the traversing mount and the mount lock are identical, except that thecentral bore 50 is threaded to engage the threaded rod in the case of atraversing mount, and, the central bore 50 is oversized to slide alongthe length of the threaded rod in the case of a mount lock. For theremainder of this description, the block will be referred to as thetraversing mount. Two holes 52, 54 are formed laterally through thetraversing mount to engage the aforementioned locator pins. A recess 56is formed to engage the flanges on the aforementioned wall bracket,which is guided into position by the hook extension 58. The surfaces ofthe block leading to the recess 56 and hook 58 are tapered to guide thehook and recess into the proper location when they are positioned ontothe flange. Note that the surface of the hook 58 and recess 56 arearcuate. This allows the display bracket to rotate within a planeparallel to the plane of the wall on which the mounting bracket ismounted so that the skew of the display can be corrected. The arcuatesurfaces provide smooth and contiguous contact about a few degrees ofrotation within that plane. The present invention generally contemplatessome degree of flexibility in the connection between the traversingmount and the display bracket or the wall bracket, depending upon theconfiguration of the structure. This is to allow for the skew adjustmentof the installed flat panel display. The skew adjustment occurs when thetwo traversing mounts are positioned at different points along theirvertical travel, and thus requires some degree of flexibility in theconnections.

Reference is directed to FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, which are a front viewdetail and a side section view drawing, respectively, of the mount lock34 and actuator 26 according to an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention. The display bracket channel 23 guides the mount lock34 along its vertical axis, which is retained in position by thethreaded rod 38 and the locator pins 82, 86 as they traverse the mountlock slots 84, 88. The threaded rod 38 does not threadably engage themount lock 34 central bore, enabling the mount lock to slide freely. Thelower extreme of the threaded rod 38 has a Torx socket 118 formedtherein for engaging a Torx wrench (not shown), which is used as thetool to rotate the threaded rod 38, thereby adjusting the position ofthe traversing lock, as described herein before. The Torx socket 118 isa first portion of the actuator 26 function. The second portion of theactuator function adjusts the position of the mount lock 34.

The second portion of the actuator 26 function is accomplished throughuse of a lock bolt 90 that slideably engages a lock follower 92. Thelock bolt 90 is retained on the end of the treaded rod 38 using asnap-ring (not shown), which engages an annular groove (not shown) inthe threaded rod 38. The snap ring allows the lock bolt 90 to rotaterelative to the threaded rod 38, while preventing the lock bolt 90 frommoving up or down the vertical axis of the threaded bold 38. The lockbolt has a hex nut 120 at its lower end, which is used to engage a hexwrench (not shown) that us used to rotate the lock bolt 90 duringadjustment operations by a user. The lock bolt 90 has a pair of drivetongs 122 that extend upwardly and engage a corresponding pair of driventongs 124 on the lock follower 92. Note that the lock bolt 90 and drivetongs 122 are free to rotate on the threaded rod 38 without engaging thethreads. The inside diameter of the lock follower 92 is threadablyengaged to the threaded rod 38. Thusly, when the driven tongs 124 areforced to rotate through engagement with the drive tongs 122, the lockfollower rotates with respect to the threaded rod 38, urging the lockfollower against the mount lock 34. The vertical movement of the lockfollower 92 is isolated from the fixed position of the lock bolt 90through the slideable engagement of the drive tongs 122 and the driventongs 124. With this arrangement, the Torx socket 118 and the hex nut120 provide the points of input for actuating the traversing mount andmount lock, respectively. These are located at a convenient accessposition about the periphery of the mounting bracket assembly.

Reference is directed to FIG. 22, FIG. 23, and FIG. 24, which are sideview installation drawings of an adjustable mounting bracket accordingto an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 shows aflat panel display 142 positioned in the center of the range of travelof the illustrative embodiment mounting bracket 144 and attached to avertical wall surface 140. FIG. 23 shows the same display 142 at thelower limited of the mounting bracket 144 travel. FIG. 24 shows the samedisplay 142 at the upper limit of the mounting bracket 144 travel. Theillustrative embodiment mounting bracket 144 differs somewhat from theprevious embodiment, however it shares several essential features of theinvention. These include a wall bracket portion, a display bracketportion, a pair of traversing mounts, and a mount lock feature.

Reference is directed to FIG. 25, which is an exploded diagram of theadjustable mounting bracket according to the illustrative embodiment ofthe present invention illustrated in FIG. 22. In FIG. 25 the wallbracket 146 is shown separated from the traversing mount plate 148 and apair of display brackets 150, 152. Each of these elements will be morefully described in the subsequent drawing figures and correspondingdescriptions.

Reference is directed to FIG. 26 and FIG. 27, which are a side view andfront view drawing, respectively, of a wall bracket 146 according to anillustrative embodiment of the present invention. The wall bracket 146includes of a wall plate 147 that is essentially a large ‘C’ channelform. A first row of slotted holes 180 along the upper edge of thechannel 147 and a second row of slotted holes 182 along the lower edgeof the channel 147 are provided to enable flexible mounting to a wall orother vertical surface. A pair of traversing mount actuators 154, 158,which are threaded rods in the illustrative embodiment, are rotatablysupported from the flanges of the ‘C’ channel shape. At the upper end ofthe threaded rods 154, 158 is a nut and plastic washer 160, 164. Thenuts 160, 164 are cinched or otherwise seized to the threaded rods 154,158 to prevent rotation with respect thereto. There are a pair centerrod supports 166, 168, which rotatably supports the respective threadedrods 154, 158, thereby providing additional support. The lower end ofeach threaded rod 154, 158, which are rotatably supported by the lowerflange of the channel 147, is a Torx head socket used to engage a toolto rotate each of the threaded rods 154, 158, thereby enabling actuationof the traversing mounts, discussed hereinafter.

The wall bracket 146 further includes a mount lock actuator 156, whichis another threaded rod rotatably supported by the channel 147. Themount lock actuator 156 is also rotatably supported and retained by acinched nut and plastic washer 162 at the upper end, in the same fashionas the traversing mount actuators. At the lower end of the mount lockactuator 156 is a Torx socket 172, which engages a tool used to actuatethe actuator. Thus, is can be seen that all of the actuators 154, 156,158 are accessed from a lower peripheral location on the mountingbracket. The mount lock actuator threaded rod 156 threadably engages alock bar 184 such that rotation of the actuator 156 causes the lock bar184 to travel up and down the actuator threaded rod 156. The lock bar184 extends across the width of the channel 147 and reaches at least asfor as the two traversing mount actuators 154, 158. The lock bar has apair of holes formed therein through which the traversing mountactuators 154, 158 freely pass. This arrangement retains the lock bar184 against rotation as the mount lock actuator 156 is actuated, andalso insures that the lock bar 184 is urged against the display brackethooks, thereby locking the display brackets to the wall brackets, whichwill be more fully discussed hereinafter. A traversing mount plate is anintegral part of the wall bracket in the illustrative embodiment.

Reference is directed to FIG. 28 and FIG. 29, which are a side viewdrawing and a front view drawing, respectively, of a traversing mountplate 148 according to an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention. The traversing mount plate 148 includes a horizontal upperflange 190 that supportably engages the display brackets, discussedhereinafter. The traversing mount plate 148 includes four traversingmount brackets 192, 194, 196, and 198 that are rigidly affixed thereto.The traversing mount brackets flexibly retain four corresponding nuts(illustrated in the side view of FIG. 28) that threadably engage thetraversing mount actuator threaded rods 154, 158. As such, when thethread rod are rotated, the nuts flexibly retained in the traversingmount brackets 192, 194, 196 and 198 are driven up or down the threadedrods 154, 158. There are two nuts threaded to each rod, as illustrated.The flexible retention of the nuts in the corresponding brackets 192,194, 196, and 198 allow for vertical misalignment of the traversingmounts, which corrects for skew misalignment in the mounted flat paneldisplay. The nuts are retain against rotation with respect to therotating threaded rod, but are flexible in rotation with respect to thevertical plane parallel to the wall on which the mount bracket ismounted. The assembled view of FIG. 30 provides further clarification ofthe assembled mounting bracket.

Reference is directed to FIG. 30, which is a side view of the assembledadjustable mounting bracket 144 according to the illustrative embodimentof the present invention. The wall plate channel 147 rotatably supportsthe threaded rod traversing mount actuator 154 and provides actuationaccess to the Torx socket 170 located on the lower periphery of themount 144. A pair of the traversing mount brackets 192, 194 flexiblyretain their corresponding nuts, which are flexibly supported within thebrackets 192, 194. Thusly, as the Torx socket 170 is actuated, thethreaded rod 154 turns and drives the traversing mounts 192, 194 andmount plate 148 up and down the vertical axis. A pair of displaybrackets 150, 152 are hung from and supported by the upper horizontalflange 190 of the mount plate 148.

Reference is directed to FIG. 31 and FIG. 32, which are a side viewdrawing and front view drawing, respectively, the display brackets 150,152 according to the illustrative embodiment of the present invention.In this embodiment, two independent display brackets 150, 152 areprovided so that they may be independently positioned along the upperhorizontal flange 190 of the mount plate 148. This arrangement allowsfor adaptation to displays with varying mount hole locations and foradjustment of the horizontal position of the mounted display. Thedisplay brackets 150, 152 include a row of holes and slots 204 thatenable connection to various flat panel displays. There is also a pairof mount plate hooks 200, 202 on each display bracket. The pair of hooks200 and 202 provide for a coarse adjustment in vertical position. Eitherhook 200, 202 can be employed to engage the upper horizontal flange 190on the mount plate 148.

Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference toa particular embodiment for a particular application. Those havingordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings willrecognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments withinthe scope thereof.

It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and allsuch applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flat paneldisplay from a wall, comprising: a wall bracket; a display bracket; afirst traversing mount supportively disposed between said wall bracketand said display bracket, and driven along a first linear axis by afirst actuator, and a second traversing mount supportively disposedbetween said wall bracket and said display bracket, and driven along asecond linear axis, oriented substantially parallel to said first linearaxis, by a second actuator, and wherein said first traversing mount andsaid second traversing mount are flexibly coupled between said wallbracket and said display bracket, thereby enabling misalignment of thepositions of said first traversing mount and said second traversingmounts to adjust the skew of said display bracket relative to said wallbracket.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first traversing mountand said second traversing mount are flexibly coupled to enable rotationwithin a plane that is parallel to the wall on which said wall bracketis disposed.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first traversingmount is flexibly connected to said first actuator and said secondtraversing mount is flexibly connected to said second actuator, therebyenabling misalignment of the positions of said first traversing mountand said second traversing mount to adjust the skew of said displaybracket relative to said wall bracket.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said first actuator and said second actuator are threaded rodsthat engage said first to traversing mount and said second traversingmount, respectively, and extend to a peripheral location about said wallbracket, thereby enabling access for actuation thereof.
 5. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein said display bracket comprises a first portion and asecond portion that are independently supported, thereby enablingadjustment of the spacing there between for adaptation to the mountingconfiguration of the flat panel display.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said first traversing mount and said second traversing mount areremovably disposed between said wall bracket and said display bracket.7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising: a horizontal mountingflange disposed to removably engage said first traversing mount and saidsecond traversing mount, thereby enabling adjustment of the horizontalposition of said display bracket relative to said wall bracket.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a mount lock coupled toselectively lock the position of said display bracket to said wallbracket, said mount lock selectively actuated by a lock actuator.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8 wherein said mount lock is positioned to urge saidfirst traversing mount and said second traversing mount against saidhorizontal mounting flange, thereby preventing disengagement there from.10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said lock actuator is a threadedrod that engages said mount lock and extends to a peripheral locationabout said wall bracket.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said lockactuator engages one of said first actuator or said second actuator. 12.A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flat paneldisplay from a wall, comprising: a wall bracket having a firsthorizontal flange aligned in parallel with a second horizontal flange; afirst display bracket having a first traversing mount driven along afirst linear axis and engaged with a first threaded rod actuator thatextends to a peripheral location about said wall bracket, said firsttraversing mount having a curved extension formed to supportively engagesaid first horizontal flange and enable rotation of said first displaybracket along a plane parallel to the wall on which the wall bracket ismounted, and wherein said first display bracket further comprising afirst mount lock slidably positioned along said first threaded rodactuator and aligned to be urged against said second horizontal flangeby a first lock actuator that is concentric to and engaged with saidfirst threaded rod actuator, and that extends to a peripheral locationon the mounting bracket; a second display bracket having a secondtraversing mount driven along a second linear axis and engaged with asecond threaded rod actuator that extends to a peripheral location onthe mounting bracket, said second traversing mount having a curvedextension formed to supportively engage said first horizontal flange andenable rotation of said second display bracket along said plane parallelto the wall on which the wall bracket is mounted, and wherein saidsecond display bracket further comprising a second mount lock slidablypositioned along said second threaded rod actuator and aligned to beurged against said second horizontal flange by a second lock actuatorthat is concentric to and engaged with said second threaded rodactuator, and that extends to a peripheral location on the mountingbracket, and wherein said first display bracket and said second displaybracket are independently positionable along said first horizontalflange, thereby enabling adjustment of the horizontal position of theflat panel display, and further enabling adjustment of the spacingbetween said first display bracket and said second display bracket toallow adaptation to the mounting configuration of the flat paneldisplay.
 13. A mounting bracket apparatus for adjustably supporting aflat panel display form a wall, comprising: a wall bracket rotatablysupporting a first threaded rod and a second tread rod in a generallyvertical orientation and substantially parallel to one another; atraversing amount having a flexibly supported first coupler engaged tobe driven by rotation of said first threaded rod, and a flexiblysupported second coupler engaged to be driven by rotation of said secondthreaded rod, said traversing mount having a horizontal flange; a firstdisplay bracket having a first mounting lip for selective engagementalong said horizontal flange, and a second display bracket having asecond mounting lip for selective engagement along said horizontalflange.
 14. An electronic display system comprising: a flat paneldisplay; and a mount for attaching the flat panel display to asubstantially vertical surface, the mount comprising: a wall bracket; apair of display brackets, the flat panel display received on the pair ofdisplay brackets; and a pair of traversing mounts, each traversing mountengaged with the wall bracket and operably coupled to a separate one ofthe pair of display brackets with a threaded actuator, the threadedactuator coupled with the traversing mount so as to enable selectiveshifting of the display bracket to which the traversing mount is coupledin a substantially vertical direction relative to the wall bracket whenthe threaded actuator is rotated, and wherein the traversing mount isengaged with the wall bracket so as to enable skewing of the displaybracket in a substantially vertical plane with respect to the wallbracket.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the threaded actuatorcomprises a threaded rod and the traversing mount comprises a nutthreaded on the threaded rod.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein thetraversing mount defines a hook, the hook engaged with the wall bracket.17. The system of claim 16, wherein the wall bracket comprises anupwardly directed flange, and wherein the hook of the traversing mountis engaged over the upwardly directed flange to hang the displayinterface bracket from the wall bracket.
 18. A mount for attaching aflat panel display to a substantially vertical surface, the mountcomprising: a wall bracket; a pair of display brackets adapted toreceive the flat panel display thereon; and a pair of traversing mounts,each traversing mount engaged with the wall bracket and operably coupledto a separate one of the pair of display brackets with a threadedactuator, the threaded actuator coupled with the traversing mount so asto enable selective shifting of the display bracket to which thetraversing mount is coupled in a substantially vertical directionrelative to the wall bracket when the threaded actuator is rotated, andwherein the traversing mount is engaged with the wall bracket so as toenable skewing of the display bracket in a substantially vertical planewith respect to the wall bracket.
 19. The mount of claim 18, wherein thethreaded actuator comprises a threaded rod and the traversing mountcomprises a nut threaded on the threaded rod.
 20. The mount of claim 18,wherein the traversing mount defines a hook, the hook engaged with thewall bracket.
 21. The mount of claim 20, wherein the wall bracketcomprises an upwardly directed flange, and wherein the hook of thetraversing mount is engaged over the upwardly directed flange to hangthe display interface bracket from the wall bracket.
 22. A mount forattaching a flat panel display to a substantially vertical surface, themount comprising: a wall bracket; a pair of display brackets, eachdisplay bracket including a channel adapted to fixedly receive the flatpanel display thereon and a traversing mount engaged with the wallbracket, the traversing mount and the channel operably coupled by athreaded actuator, wherein the threaded actuator is rotatable toselectively shift the channel vertically relative to the traversingmount and the wall bracket, wherein the traversing mount is engaged withthe wall bracket so as to enable skewing of the display bracket in asubstantially vertical plane with respect to the wall bracket.
 23. Themount of claim 22, wherein the traversing mount defines a hook, the hookengaged with the wall bracket.
 24. The mount of claim 23, wherein thewall bracket comprises an upwardly directed flange, and wherein the hookof the traversing mount is engaged over the upwardly directed flange tohang the display interface bracket from the wall bracket.
 25. A mountingbracket apparatus for adjustably supporting a flat panel display from awall, comprising: a wall bracket having a first horizontal flangealigned in parallel with a second horizontal flange; a first displaybracket having a first traversing mount driven along a first linear axisand engaged with a first threaded actuator, said first traversing mounthaving structure for supportively engaging said first horizontal flangeand enabling rotation of the first display bracket along a planeparallel to the wall on which the wall bracket is mounted, and whereinthe first display bracket further comprises a first mount lockselectively positionable between an unlatched position clear of thesecond horizontal flange and a latched position wherein the first mountlock is engaged with the second horizontal flange to inhibit removal ofthe first display bracket from the wall bracket; a second displaybracket having a second traversing mount driven along a second linearaxis and engaged with a second threaded actuator, said second traversingmount having structure for supportively engaging said first horizontalflange and enabling rotation of the second display bracket along a planeparallel to the wall on which the wall bracket is mounted, and whereinthe second display bracket further comprises a second mount lockselectively positionable between an unlatched position clear of thesecond horizontal flange and a latched position wherein the second mountlock is engaged with the second horizontal flange to inhibit removal ofthe second display bracket from the wall bracket; and wherein the firstdisplay bracket the second display bracket are independentlypositionable along the first horizontal flange, thereby enablingadjustment of the horizontal position of the flat panel display, andfurther enabling adjustment of the spacing between the first displaybracket and the second display bracket to allow adaptation to themounting configuration of the flat panel display.